Two weeks before BookExpo America officially kicks off, officials have released details on its live streaming program and talked a bit about expectations for the second consumer day planned for Saturday June 1. Show manager Steve Rosato said he is confident that consumer day—when a limited amount of readers will be admitted to the show—will be a “home run” for all parties connected to the event.

Rosato told PW that over 700 readers have already signed up to attend BEA on June 1 and that his target of having 2,000 members of the general public visit BEA should be easily attainable. For $49, the public has access to the show floor and can buy tickets to that day’s book and author breakfast, if they are still available. The public will not be able to attend education sessions. In anticipation of a large turnout, BEA has moved author Neil Gaiman’s Saturday talk to a larger, 500-seat room. Rosato believes having consumers at the last day of BEA will add a new element to the event without “overwhelming” the traditional aspects of the trade show. Most publishers are planning some sort of in-booth signing or giveaways for Saturday. Books will be sold at the “power reader lounge” through an Ingram kiosk. Any publisher with a booth of less than 300, sq. ft., and who has a New York State sales license can sell books from their booth. Remainder houses will also be permitted to sell titles.

More information on publisher plans for June 1 will be in the May 31 issue of PW Show Daily, which is once again being published by PW in cooperation with BEA.

As for the live streaming program, BEA is partnering with Sony Reader and the Sony Reader Store to make many of its events, including author appearances, available to the public live or on demand. BEA Live will have a dedicated channel on the Livestream network and programming will be available at for viewing at www.bookexpoamerica.com and www.facebook.com/bookexpoamerica. The programming will also be made available to BEA’s media partners, including PW to use on their Web sites. “I’m confident that our BEA Live initiative is going to be huge this year and I am very happy that we can now deliver so much quality programming to so many people,” said Rosato.